NOTES ON FARMING OPERATIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1025, 14 December 1883, Page 2

NOTES ON FARMING OPERATIONS

[*Y ODB SPECIAL BBPORTEB,] In making a tour of the country to enable me to place before the public the progress of farming operations generally, I was much surprised to note the backwardness of some of the crops in the Wheatstone and Fjemingtoh districts which I visited yesterday, but no doubt this can be partially accounted for by the light nature of the soil atid rapid growth in the spring, being succeeded by such cold inclement weather we are now experiencing, Passing through Wheatstone I called first at ■ Riversdalo, and there found a large number of acres of imadow laud, which when out and made will produce some very 'excellent hay, to the acreage of about 5 or 6 tons per acre for the winter feed;, there is also a considerable area under turnips tot the same purpese. The lambing time of this well known flock, Hampshire down?; was very 1 good this year, there being a percentage of over 80, but unfortunately during September several valuable sheep and lambs were drowned when the river was injflood; the shearing is just finished, and owing to the superabundant feed here, stock of all descriptions look remarkably well. Leaving Messrs Dudley and Northey’s, I passed a splendid field of oais belonging to Mr Woods, which is certainly the most forward in the district. The next farm I visited belongs to Mr Jas, Bishop, whose farm is about equally divided between grazing and tillage ; his percentage of lambs is also large, and his loss from weather and other causes very small, a few hoggets from bronchial worms, and a few early lambs; : There are 100 acres on this farm under turnips, which this damp weather is very favorable for. Mr Small’s farm is one kept exclusively for grazing cattle. There is here a fine paddock of about 25 acres of rye grass for seed, which looks very well, and when threshed will yield a splendid sample of good clean seed. On this farm is the heaviest crop of hay in the district, which was being cut yesterday j and meet yield'at) least 8 tons to the acre. Leaving Wheatstone I went through the Plemington distri'-t; The pasture lands in the immediate vicinity of the Cheese Factory look rather bare, being heavily stocked with cows, farmers finding a ready and profitable sale for their ; rnilk for cheese; While on the subject of dairy cows I should like to suggest to the farmers tha great desirability to yearly closing more fields f r hay, as cows calving daring the winter months require good feeding to enable them to keep up their full supply of milk, for although they will for a short time be in full profit, they must without extra feeding soon fall off in their milk, there being not sufficient grass for them, whereas by giving them a little hay night and morning as well as some mangolds, they will not only keep up to their standard quality of milk, but if their owners wish to dispose of them towards the end of the winter they will undoubtedly realise their value in the County Saleyards. I missed a good many from among my farmer friends since I, visited them last year, several having gone to'Southland, tempted by the cheapness of the land in that part of the colony, but I was informed that several wished themselves back again. On the rich land through the swamp tha vegetation is very luxuriant, arid the store cattle grazing thereon seemed in a very forward condition. ;